Looking for the floodiest headlamp flashlight

ValuseekeR · 2018-07-06T11:01:54.000Z

What Zulumoose wrote was my first thought as well, but I figured your were asking in the context of outdoor use.

Not sure of your frame of reference, but if you haven’t used an 18650-powered flashlight before, the amount of light they can put out may be a shocker. One of the lower modes will easily light up a table.

CM2010 · 2018-07-06T12:48:33.000Z

hcanning, I’ve got a Armytek Wizard Pro 2300lm if interested?

I’ll drop you a pm.

anycolourfloyd · 2018-07-06T12:56:02.000Z

Skilhunt h03 TIR in neutral white for sure.

It’s plenty floody and the spread is beautiful. I’ve started using one of these for compass map night navigation, it’s fantastic.

You absolutely cannot go wrong unless you’re planning to run with it on your head. Then you need something smaller.

rondohatten · 2018-07-06T14:48:08.000Z

have been seriously considering an h03 to run with.
no good? too heavy?

thanks.

Zulumoose · 2018-07-06T14:53:47.000Z

rondohatten:

have been seriously considering an h03 to run with.
no good? too heavy?

thanks.

Depends how smooth a runner you are. I think it is the perfect road running light, I just don’t use it because I prefer to keep it good and not to get the headband all sweaty, I use a cheaper but heavier light for running, and find it almost as good, it just has a cooler tint and the flood is not as smooth.

I run with this

JakeDjanitor · 2018-07-06T15:49:36.000Z

I have an armytek wizard pro warm, I have been using one daily for years. I have worn it out, armytek has replaced it. And even sent me the upgraded model. I recently bought a new one with magnetic charge base.
They are amazing. I have even snorkeled with it on. Very nice beam. You may find it for about $70. https://www.armytek.com/products/flashlights/multi-flashlights/armytek-wizard-pro-magnet-usb-18650/

SKV89 · 2018-07-06T16:46:05.000Z

Acebeam H15 is floodier and much brighter than the Skilhunt H03. The Olight H2R Nova older batch has good tint but not as floody (recent batch is very ugly green). Armytek Wizards have some of the best looking tint on average and good flood but not as floody as H15, but Wizards have a very premium feel.

Boaz · 2018-07-07T07:20:15.000Z

You can run Dc-fix on anything and get pure flood….All flood is simple

rondohatten · 2018-07-07T14:55:37.000Z

thanks for the info.
im certainly not a smooth runner, and run trails.
a cool tint doesnt work for me; makes it hard to see
the variations in the terrain.
ive seen some candidates, but im too cheap to
shell out for them.

thanks again. will continue to mull.

anycolourfloyd · 2018-07-07T23:50:55.000Z

rondohatten:

thanks for the info.
im certainly not a smooth runner, and run trails.
a cool tint doesnt work for me; makes it hard to see
the variations in the terrain.
ive seen some candidates, but im too cheap to
shell out for them.

thanks again. will continue to mull.

For trail running or orienteering I recommend nitecore nu20 CRI. If you need long duration though you’ll need something bigger / replaceable cells.

I use the h03 for long distance stuff where I’m mostly walking

Pulsar · 2018-07-08T00:19:06.000Z

SKV89:

The Olight H2R Nova older batch has good tint but not as floody (recent batch is very ugly green).

Really? Mine I believe is the newer, with upgraded tail cap (safe), and it has a very decent tint. I got the neutral model.
The tail cap has been upgraded, like said above, to address safety concerns. I never had an issue

Blackbeard · 2018-07-08T00:34:44.000Z

+1 on the SH H03 very floody and decent price point, good light, tail stands or magnetic tail. can also double as right angle backpack light with the clip.

Pete7874 · 2018-07-08T01:09:55.000Z

hcanning:

Zulumoose:

If you stand it on its end and place it on a table in a darkened room, does it provide a “decent” spread of light across the table?

Leave it on its side pointed at the ceiling and the whole room will have decent light, without even using highest mode.
A tube light with tail-stand ability is even better for this, because the hot part will not be touching anything.
Inside a room ceiling bounce will give the best light.

I want to use it outdoors though

How exactly is this going to work? If you stand it up outside, it is not going to light up anything. You need to bounce it off something or use a diffuser.

rondohatten · 2018-07-08T21:38:04.000Z

ive read about the nu20 and it seems like
an excellent candidate.
for no good reason, i thought it might be fun to have an
18650 light if its workable tint and cost wise.

thanks for the info.

Lightbringer · 2018-07-08T22:37:48.000Z

Not to go into broken-record mode, but the Boruit RJ02 is dirt cheap, has a built-in charger, takes an 18650 for long runtime, and spits out decent lemons albeit a bit on the cool side, and the screw-on cap atop its included TIR lens lets you swap it for any 20mm TIR lens you want.

For me, 60° is nice and floody for tabletop work, but you can stick in a 90° or even 120° lens for even wider flood (’though with some artifacts, as wide-angle TIRs aren’t perfect).

They’re cheap enough to buy in bulk, and get an assortment of TIR lenses from narrow-spot to wide-flood, and keep them in a ziplock baggie.

I don’t think you wanna use any light for 1000lm for any extended period. It’ll cook itself to death. I once tailstood/tailstanded/whatever an S2+ for only 5-10min in a dark room and couldn’t even grab it long enough to hit the tailswitch to turn it off without grabbing some material to use as a sort of oven-mitt. Unsuspectingly grabbed it, dropped it, couldn’t even poke it from both sides to hit the switch, it was that hot. And even after, I couldn’t pick it up for some time ’til it cooled down. Never want to repeat that again…

Most times I keep the ’02 at or near minimum brightness because that’s usually enough, but a few times I cranked it up to full and had it cooking for a half-hour or more, and it wouldn’t overheat too much. It tops out at something like 300lm (forgot), and that’s usually plenty unless you intend to light up a whole trail in front of you. In other words, don’t get lumenitis and demanding 4-digit lumenage when visually it’s not that much brighter than 250-300.

NeutralFan · 2018-07-08T23:02:21.000Z

Very tempting with the Boruit headlamps. Is the RJ02 better than the D10? The IR sensor seems interesting, but I don’t want anything gimmicky. Good to know about swapping in the TIR lenses.

puglife2 · 2018-07-08T23:10:21.000Z

Why nobody talk about the armytek wizard and the elf c2 !! the best headlamps in the galaxy!

Lightbringer · 2018-07-08T23:15:05.000Z

One “failing” of the ’02 is that when you activate the IR-thingy, it snaps on to full-tilt and off, not the last memorised brightness level. So that’s how I make sure it’s at 100% when I want it, just go to IR mode and it’s at 100%.

Dunno the D10, so can’t compare. All I know is I got a bunch of ’02s, thinking them to be “disposable”, but I’ve been banging on the first one all this time and it hasn’t failed me yet. Even things like shoveling snow (well, more like chiselling ice), I had it on its lowest setting and it was still plenty bright reflecting off the white snow/ice.

I got a whole bunch of TIRs from Amazon, and I’ve swapped acto my needs. Usually, the 60 is what I keep coming back to, as it’s nice and floody but still lights well farther out when you crank it up.

If your interest is to use it while hiking/running/jogging at night, the come-with TIR (30°?) is fine.

But yeah, any 20mm TIR (LEDsupply, Amazon, etc.) will drop right in.

NeutralFan · 2018-07-08T23:22:37.000Z

Looks like some nice headlights puglife2, but for $11-12, it’s hard not to consider a Boruit. Especially since I don’t use a headlamp that often and it would be replacing a cheapo Rayovac 3 AAA headlamp. But I don’t want another headlamp that doesn’t work well. When I’m wearing a headlamp, it’s usually to fix something around the house in order to have both hands free, so it needs to be dependable.

Lightbringer · 2018-07-08T23:28:24.000Z

The headband with the over-the-head additional strap is nice and secure. I’ve been head-down poking at things and it never came loose let alone fell off. It’s adjustable, so take the time to “get it right” and it’ll wear well.

Plus, unlike those with the hinged holders that get loose and flop around or even crack off pieces (even on expen$ive lights), this has 2 thick rubber loops that hold it in-place. Simplicity itself. Even lets you quickly pop it out and “palm” the light if you want to (which I do quite often, vs having the strap dangling).